Novana – Live at the O2 Academy, Sheffield

Novana, one of the world’s greatest tributes to the 90’s grunge pioneers Nirvana, made their annual appearance at Sheffield’s O2 Academy this weekend to celebrate 25 years since the release of the number one album ‘Nevermind’.

Hailing from Hull, James Cooper (Kurt Cobain), Sam Howell (Krist Novoselic) and Rob Burgess (Dave Grohl) attempt to recreate the atmosphere of a classic Nirvana show for those who sadly never got to see the real thing.

And they never fail to impress.

To celebrate a quarter of a century since the release of an album that changed the world, the tribute trio performed ‘Nevermind’ from start to finish – kicking off with the iconic ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ and finishing with the sombre ‘Something In The Way, via hit songs such as ‘In Bloom’, ‘Come As You Are’ and ‘Lithium’.

But a full album just wasn’t enough for Novana, who proceeded to play another hours worth of material – or “whatever the f**k we want” as the frontman described it!

Performances of ‘In Utero’ tracks ‘Heart Shaped Box’ and ‘All Apologies’ provided particular highlights while ‘Aneurysm’ showcased the explosive nature of the trio as they recreated not only the sound, but the on-stage personas and mannerisms of the iconic band to near-perfection.

Rarer songs such as ‘Spank Thru’ and ‘Love Buzz’ were followed by ‘You Know You’re Right’ – the last ever to be recorded by Cobain. ‘Milk It’ then offered a big finale as the band chucked their guitars around before storming off stage among an explosion of sound.

But the adoring steel city crowd wanted even more and the trio duly obliged, returning to complete a memorable and impressive performance with ‘Pennyroyal Tea’.

If you’re a fan of Cobain and co and want to get a taste of the ‘Nirvana experience’ from their peak, then check out ‘Novana’. You won’t be disappointed.